The latest news from the world of mobile marketing.

Food & Wine

02/17/2016

Splitting the bill at a restaurant or anywhere else is generally aggravating for everyone involved, and that certainly includes staff. Several apps are taking the headache out of bill splitting and allow patrons to easily determine who owes what.

Let’s review some of these apps and what makes them so cool:

Splittr

This $2 iPhone app makes figuring out who owes what for food, hotel rooms, gas, and pretty much any other payments much simpler. The app requires a user to create a trip or event and then add expenses for the activity. The next step is to add the people involved in the trip/event and note what each person has contributed so far. The app determine’s each person’s balance, as well as what is still owed.

Lovely

This free iOS/Android app offers an automated rent payment option entitled Pay With Lovely. Simply enter your rent amount and the landlord’s contact information to create automatic monthly payments. You’ll receive notice five days before the transaction occurs, as well as when the payment is made and when the landlord makes his or her deposit.

Venmo

Venmo is another free iOS/Android option that makes paying friends back—or sending rent money—an easier process. You can either receive money through the app, or send what amounts to invoices requesting funds. Using the app on the iPhone 7 allows you to make payments to nearby friends via Bluetooth. While Venmo was recently acquired by PayPal, it’s a great deal more streamlined than PayPal’s app.

GroupMe

This app’s Collect Money feature takes the awkwardness out of requesting funds after an event, such as a huge dinner or ski trip. Just click on the paperclip icon next to the Message Compose field, hit ‘Collect,’ and enter who owes what. Friends and family pay with their credit cards, and you’ll receive a message when everyone has put in his or her share. Custom links over the web are provided to party members who do not have the app. If you’re planning on using GroupMe, keep in mind that there’s a 3.5 percent credit card charge, as well as a $.30 charge for every paying individual.

Google Wallet and Square Cash

Google Wallet allows you to send and receive money via email. Square Cash provides the same service but requires linking your debit card to your account and then entering email addresses of recipients along with Cc cash@square.com. Simply enter the amount owed on the subject line.

Pay-At-The-Table Apps

The days of using the air signature gesture to get your bill at a restaurant could be coming to an end, thanks to pay-at-the-table apps. Four-digit codes are provided to restaurants by the apps, though QR barcodes and table numbers can also be used. Payments are made through pre-loaded links to debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay, or PayPal and allow patrons to split the bill as needed.

Are the days of annoying bill-splitting problems over? We can only hope.

11/13/2015

Marketers know that, in many households, moms control the purse strings, making daily judgements on what to buy for their families. It’s safe to assume that a significant portion of those purchases are made using mobile devices. But a recent study suggests an increase in mobile shopping far beyond what anyone could have predicted.

The research, conducted by BabyCenter.com, highlights a rapidly growing trend among mothers to use smartphones as a smarter, more convenient shopping portal. It shows a 33% increase in completed purchases over the last year - bigger than the average figures across all demographics. Interestingly, much of this mobile activity begins as so-called ‘showrooming’ - 70% of respondents report using a mobile device for shopping and price-checking while inside a brick and mortar location.

This is not all that surprising. Moms who make regular purchases of a wide variety of goods and services are in touch with up-to-the-minute market values, and know how to save money by comparing prices across competing brands. According to the survey, 56% of moms do this in-store, using their mobile devices. Mobile commerce for moms, then, is principally a money-saving endeavor, and any mobile marketing tactics used to target them should bear this in mind.

Of course, saving money with mobile goes beyond comparing costs. One of the most effective mobile marketing tactics - for all demographics - is the mobile coupon. Of the 1100 moms surveyed, 61% said they used mobile coupons. More than half reported using retailer apps, directly engaging with a specific brand from their devices.

Scanning, too, has experienced a surge in popularity among moms. Apps such as RedLaser and similar proprietary offerings from name brands allow users to scan for coupons, price comparison, or product information. Moms surveyed were 55% more likely than others to make a purchase after scanning an item.

The lessons for retailers? Offer a streamlined mobile experience that considers the needs of moms working to tight budgets and tighter schedules; provide scanning capabilities and in-store apps; give mobile coupons to loyal customers and to potential new customers as an enticements.

Moms (and, let’s not forget, stay-at-home dads responsible for running the household) are using mobile devices as part of their daily shopping habits, but that doesn’t mean they’re sitting ducks. They are some of the savviest shoppers out there, and will use the power of mobile to wring every last saving they can on behalf of their families. Connect with them in the right way and you’ll foster a sense of brand loyalty that will last after the youngest kid has been packed off to college.

09/22/2015

As we settle into Fall, businesses across the country are preparing for the spending bonanza that twitches into life well before Halloween, gathers pace around Thanksgiving, and goes stratospheric in the weeks before Christmas.

How successfully businesses harness this spending spree to their benefit depends largely on who they choose to target, and how they go about reaching them. At this time of year, brands typically focus on the spenders (parents) and the influencers (children). Less attention is given to grandparents - a fact you can turn to your advantage.

After all, these are mostly Baby Boomers we’re talking about. They’ve got the money, time and inclination to spend. There’s 80 million of them in the United States, but despite accounting for only 30% of the population, they have 70% of the disposable income. From a marketing standpoint, Boomers are low-hanging fruit.

Increased life expectancy, coupled with greater wealth per capita than any other demographic, ensures that the current generation of over-60s isn’t planning to slow down their spending any time soon; analysts forecast Boomers’ financial clout to top $15 trillion by 2020.

It’s not just how much they spend - it’s what they spend on. Air fares, restaurant meals, theater and concert tickets - Baby Boomers outspend other demographics on practically every non-essential item. They’re also far more tech savvy than many believe, with 71% spending time online on a daily basis, and an average monthly spend of $650 on technology alone.

So why are only 5% of ad dollars aimed at what is clearly a lucrative market? There’s no good answer to this, but it’s possible that a largely youth-oriented marketing culture has no idea how to communicate with Boomers. This year presents a perfect opportunity for your business to tap into this market and reap the benefits before everybody else catches on.

Unlike parents, who are usually directly influenced by their children to buy the latest toy, grandparents often take the time to conjure up their own ideas for gifts. According to grandparents.com, Boomers spend $52 billion on their grandchildren. Helping them find the right gift for the right child is your way in. Nearly two-thirds of Boomers use Facebook, so focus your initial audience-building efforts on social media. Encourage them to look towards apps and other software, as opposed to traditional toys. If you educate them on what “the kids” are into these days, you can help them delight their grandchildren by getting the right gift without having to ask. Major brownie points from kids and parents.

12/01/2014

Black Friday’s over, Cyber Monday’s done with, now all that’s left is the business of Christmas. For retailers, the holiday represents the year’s last commercial hurrah before practically giving their stock away in January and hunkering down for a cold financial winter.

The importance of a successful holiday shopping season can’t be understated. Most retailers rely on healthy Q4 profits to get them through the rest of the year. The spending public goes into a frenzy just before Thanksgiving, and it doesn’t stop until January 1. With such high levels of activity, you’re likely to benefit without doing much more than opening shop every day, but you’re also more susceptible to losing more potential customers to a rival who has their marketing strategy figured out.

To compete, try applying some of these SMS marketing ideas to your 2014 Christmas marketing plan. It’s late, but it’s not too late…

Limited Time Offers

Consumerism might be cranked up to eleven at this time of year, but people are still procrastinators, often waiting until the last minute for that unbeatable deal. To take advantage of this tendency, offer time limited coupons that expire within 48 hours of being issued. If the discount is attractive enough, the narrow timeframe will convince the hemmers and the haw-ers to grab it with both hands.

Exclusive Deals for Existing Customers

It’s far easier to sell to people with whom you already have a business relationship. Often, your best strategy will be approaching current customers who trust your business already. Send a seasonal note or card to your existing clients thanking them for their business over the past year. As a postscript, include a special offer they can take advantage of by texting a shortcode. Be sure to inform them of the exclusivity of the offer – tell them it’s only open to your most valued customers.

SMS and Store-Only Discounts

Incentivizing foot traffic is one of the biggest challenges facing brick and mortar retailers in an increasingly web-oriented marketplace. In order to bring more people in to your store, promote special offers that only apply to foot customers. Once people come in, make them a separate offer that only applies if they sign up to receive mobile alerts. Tell them they will receive a text message within a week of opting in, and make it clear that only SMS recipients can take advantage of the deal.

Stay Relevant

Your SMS contact list should be subdivided according to as many variables as you can gather. Recipients are much likelier to respond to an offer or message that they feel is highly relevant to them. For most of the year it’s a case of collating and capitalizing on personal preferences; at Christmas, things gets a little trickier as most shoppers are focused on buying food and gifts for consumption by others. Run a customer survey early in December to find out what sorts of gifts people are planning to buy for friends and family this Christmas. Even if you don’t gain any useful information, it’s a great way to add more user to your SMS contact list.

10/31/2014

Halloween is a billion-dollar industry. Last year, Forbes stated that 158 million Americans had participated, each spending an average of $75.03 on goods and activities. Consumers are also getting ‘into the spirit’ earlier and earlier, with more than three quarters of the population starting their Halloween shopping at least two weeks before the big day.

Well now the big day is here – but it’s not too late to pull of a few last minute tricks by offering a few treats. Stuck for ideas? Try these:

1) Pumpkins as Leverage

Halloween is the perfect time to start ramping up your marketing efforts for the Thanksgiving and Yuletide seasons. Post some spooky stories on Facebook, promote it to your SMS contacts and offer them free shipping for the rest of 2014 if they ‘Like’ your page. That way, they’re more likely to use your services for the rest of their seasonal purchases.

2) Costume Competition

A staple of the season, running a costume contest might not win you any awards for originality, but at least you can guarantee a large number of people will be dressing up – all you have to do is get them to send you a photo. Best one wins a freebie. The more runner up prizes you offer, the more people will engage.

3) Best Horror Movie Survey

Get your subscribers to text in their favorite horror flicks. You can even divide them into sub-genres to attract movie buffs who feel unchallenged by the standard generic film poll.

4) Jack-o-Lantern Hunt

Photograph a company-themed carved pumpkin on a porch somewhere in your city. Offer a big prize to anyone who can locate the jack-o-lantern and send a picture in. As Halloween night goes on, text sporadic hints and clues to help people find it – it’s a good way to keep customers engaged with your brand for longer.

5) Halloween Hamper Quiz

Run a themed quiz. Advertise it on social media but ask people to opt in for SMS alerts in order to take part. If you offer a truly gobsmacking hamper filled with festive goodies, you can attract thousands of new opt-ins at this time of year.

Have you got any creative, seasonal marketing ideas of your own? Halloween’s almost over, but if you have some SMS marketing strategies for the upcoming holiday season, let us know in the comments below. Happy Halloween!

07/29/2014

Like 3-D before it, Smell-O-Vision began life as a fifties novelty, dreamt up by movie execs who didn’t quite have the technology at their disposal to make it work as intended. Hissing noises distracted audiences, and scents didn’t reach all parts of the theater until well after the corresponding on-screen action. Voted one of the ‘Top 100 Worst Ideas of All Time’ by Time magazine readers in 2000, Smell-O-Vision definitely stunk up the place – just not in the way its creators hoped.

Cut to 2014, and a handful of canny app developers may finally have solved the challenges of transmitting odors to remote audiences. The latest is called oSnap, and it’s about to launch at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, with a scented message sent across the Atlantic from Paris to NYC. Clearly, this is no flash in the pan.

Created by a team of Harvard University students and their professor, the iPhone app takes photos and sends accompanying scents to the recipient. Users snap shots and tag the photo with a choice of scent notes. Got a picture of your nightly hot chocolate? Send some cocoa bean aromas with it. Showing off your posh new case of wine? Add some subtle notes of fermented grape to your message to give your recipients a fuller experience.

Of course, smell-o-vision is not an inbuilt piece of hardware in any smartphone just yet. To use oSnap, recipients must purchase a scent-transmitter called an oPhone before they can smell a thing. That might sound like quite a catch right now, but the developers are raising funds to mass-produce the oPhone for home use. The planned price tag is $199 – not a small amount of money, but depending on how realistic the smells are, it could take off.

The oPhone and oSnap are not the first modern technologies to harness the power of scent. The Scentee app uses scent cartridges that plug into smartphones and emit luxurious smells like ribs and buttered potatoes. Based on the understanding that aroma has a huge influence on the eating experience, the app aims to improve a bland dish with twelve fancy olfactory options including strawberry, cinnamon roll and even curry.

01/19/2011

We all know just how succesfull Groupon is - after all, they just raised another billion dollars. What you might not know is how aggresive they are getting with their mobile efforts:

In what’s nothing short of an amazing campaign, Groupon announced recently that a recent Groupon for a fast food restaurant in Hong Kong helped sell over 70,000 hamburgers in less than 72 hours — 40,000 of which were sold in the first 24 hours following the initial offer.

The restaurant is called “Triple O’s,” and the original offer was this: "spend $25 on food and drink and get another $25 for free.” The offer was facilitated almost completely via mobile redemption and was so successful that it now resides at the top of Groupon’s worldwide performance charts for “F&B Restaurant Coupons.”

09/16/2010

The Next Web's Location column has spotted an app that sounds great - or as they put it - "Munich. Oktoberfest. Check-in app. Heaven."

If you happen to be heading to Munich for 2010 Oktoberfest starting tomorrow (and why wouldn’t you be right?), then boy do we have the app for you. Developed in conjunction with the city government, the new Wiesn iPhone app is a check-in app with a sole purpose – to help you find beer tents, communicate with others that are enjoying a stein, and of course to help you find ATMs so you can keep buying those steins.

02/23/2010

We're gonna look at an interesting use of text messaging today. You may or may not have heard about a recent scandal in the Italian wine world (if you don't know, Italy experiences food/wine/olive oil scandals with some regularity).

This is what went down:

The Italian government investigated the 2003 vintage [of Brunello] and found that
several of the 250 producers in the consortium had adulterated their
wines. Brunello can only be produced using 100 percent Sangiovese
grapes grown only in a small demarcated area surrounding the village of
Montalcino. It then must be aged for two years in oak barrels, and then
another four months in bottle, and a Brunello cannot be released until
five years after the harvest. With the 2003 vintage, however, it was
discovered that some winemakers fraudulently used grapes other than
Sangiovese. Over 700,000 cases were impounded, and around 1.3 million
liters were eventually stripped of the prestigious denomination of
origin.

The producers of Brunello di Montalcino — the coveted and mythologized Tuscan red — announced
they would be using mobile phone technology to assure consumers that
their very expensive bottles actually contained Brunello di Montalcino.
Now, after you plunk down $60 or $80 or $100 for the 2004 vintage, you
can send a text message with your bottle’s ID number to the Consorzio del Vino del Brunello di Montalcino. In return you’ll receive a text verifying its history and authenticity.